(19)

(11)

EP 1 404 376 A2

(12)

(88) Date of publication A3: 11.07.2002 (43) Date of publication: 07.04.2004 Bulletin 2004/15 (21) Application number: 01987641.6 (22) Date of filing: 19.10.2001

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: A61K 51/00 (86) International application number: PCT/US2001/050802 (87) International publication number: WO 2002/032294 (25.04.2002 Gazette 2002/17)

(84) Designated Contracting States: AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR (30) Priority: 19.10.2000 US 241782 P (71) Applicant: Bracco Imaging SPA Princeton, NJ 08540 (US)	(72) Inventors: CAGNOLINI, Aldo Plainsboro, NJ 08536 (US) LINDER, Karen, E. Kingston, NJ 08528 (US) MARINELLI, Edmund, R. Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 (US) (74) Representative: Bösl, Raphael, Dr. et al PatentanwälteIsenbruck Bösl Hörschler Wichmann HuhnPostfach 86 08 80 81635 München 81635 München (DE)